


When You're Not Listening

by romantichopelessly



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Arguing, But it isn't so bad, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, I love sympathetic Deceit but he isn't so sympathetic here, M/M, This is a Late fic, Warning: Deceit Sanders, but honestly it isn't all that shippy, uh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-31
Updated: 2019-01-31
Packaged: 2019-10-19 17:21:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17605631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/romantichopelessly/pseuds/romantichopelessly
Summary: Or, three times Logan or Nate protected one another behind the other’s back, and one time they stopped being idiots and noticed.





	When You're Not Listening

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).



Roman groaned, looking up from his notepad in exasperation. Really, it was probably his fault for trying to brainstorm in the common areas. He should have known better.

Logan and Nate were fighting. Again.

“Well, maybe if you weren’t such a stick in the mud, I wouldn’t have to go over your head to get Thomas to relax a bit!”

“He will have time for relaxation once he has finished his work for the day!”

Roman sighed, sitting his notepad down. There was no way that anything would be getting done today. When Logan and Nate started going at it like this, it could take hours for the name calling to stop. He used to think that he and Logan were bad, but ever since Nate had become a bigger part of Thomas’s life…

“Oh, yeah, when his work is finished. Because his work is everything right? You just know everything.” Nate’s voice was getting lower, a clear sign that his irritation was bordering on real anger.

Roman really wished they would just stop already.

“I know more than you!” Logan’s voice was shrill, and Roman flinched upon hearing it. That was Logan’s upset voice. If it was shining through, he was really getting emotional. Roman himself had only managed to evoke it one or two times. Nate seemed to do so regularly.

“Of course you do. You always know best, don’t you, Logic? You can’t even consider the idea that maybe one of us knows something that you don’t! Like how to relax, or work as a team!”

Roman’s eyes widened and he looked up, his eyes pulled to the kitchen, where the two were standing about a foot apart. Both of their faces were red and chests heaving and Roman bit his lip when he saw Logan’s eyes dart away for a moment.

Nate had been right, but he probably shouldn’t have said it.

The room was silent for a few moments. Roman didn’t even dare to move. Logan and Nate stared at one another, completely at a standstill.

After a few awkward, silent seconds, Logan’s back straightened and he pushed past Nate towards the refrigerator. Roman and Nate watched in silence as he swung the door open unnecessarily harshly and rooted around for a moment before pulling out a full jar of Crofter’s. Slamming the door shut, Logan jerked open a nearby drawer and grabbed a long handled spoon.

“Relax all you want now, Procrastination, I’m done for the day.” Logan spat, glaring at the side in leather before sinking out without another word, his jar of Crofter’s (not even Logan’s Berry, if that showed how bad it was) cradled to his chest.

Instantly, the tension deflated from Nate’s shoulders, and Roman could practically see the regret coming off him in waves.

Glancing back down at his notepad before setting it aside and standing up, Roman cleared his throat and stepped closer to the kitchen.

“I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Logan gets upset at anyone who challenges his sacred routine.” Roman kept his voice light, a bit wary at the sight of the dark frown on Nate’s face.

Roman moved around and leaned against the bar, smiling slightly at Nate. He couldn’t see the other’s eyes behind his sunglasses, so he pressed on. “You were right, though. Specs is a stick in the mud.”

Nate’s shoulders tensed again and he whirled around, looking right at Roman. Or right through him, it was exceedingly hard to tell through those dark sunglasses. “No he isn’t. Logan does so much for all of us, and not one of us even bothers to thank him for it. Logan is an unwavering constant, and without him we’d all be insane. He’s not boring. He cares a lot more than he shows, and he’s way more than just Logic. He’s Thomas’s curiosity and intelligence, and without him, your job would be much harder than it is right now.”

Roman blinked in shock. “Wh- But you just said-“

Even though he couldn’t see Nate’s eyes clearly, Roman could tell that he was rolling his eyes. “Yeah, I know what I said. Doesn’t mean you can say it. Or that I should.”

Roman tilted his head in confusion. “You’re awfully protective for someone who yells at Logan nearly every conversation you have together.”

Nate huffed, but didn’t respond. Roman watched, silently baffled as Nate slowly but surely shuffled out of the room.

Roman would never understand those two. He just wished they’d stop doing this in common areas.

———

Patton didn’t think he’d ever understand why Logan and Nate fought so much.

Sure, they kind of worked against once another, but so did Patton and Logan a lot of the time, and Logan never yelled at him like he did at Nate.

Like he was right now.

It had started as a comment about the shirt that Nate was wearing. A heather gray t-shirt with the words “Due Friday? More Like Do Friday.” Of course, Logan had found the silly saying, well, silly. But a scoff and an offhanded comment had quickly grown to a full on argument.

Patton had tried to intervene. He always did, but with these two, it never seemed to work. No amount of soft words or jokes were able to pull Nate and Logan out of an argument. Only one of them storming away or sinking out could end a Logan and Nate argument.

Which was exactly what happened, Nate disappearing with one last snide remark, leaving Logan standing in front of the couch staring at the cushion as if it had offended him personally.

Carefully, Patton approached his friend, his voice soft and soothing. “I know Nate bothers you sometimes, Logan, and that’s okay! The two of you are like- like opposite ends of a magnet! He’s just- just your natural antagonist-“

Logan spoke up quickly, his voice clear and controlled, pretty much the opposite of his annoyed voice from moments ago. “Nathan is far from an antagonist, Patton. He embodies much more than Thomas’s Procrastination. He is also relaxation, balance, and on many occasions, self care.”

Patton blinked in surprise. He had been trying to console Logan, not upset him even further. He quickly backtracked, choosing his words more carefully. “I know that, I just- You two are so different, and I thought you would-“

Logan pursed his lips, obviously resisting the urge to roll his eyes. “I know that we are different. That is not necessarily a bad thing.”

Patton blinked, watching Logan inquisitively. He didn’t know where this sudden protective streak for Nate had come from, but he wasn’t going to challenge it. “Okay, buddy…”

Logan was already turning on his heel, heading in the direction of his room. He had gotten only a few paces away when he turned back, enough that Patton could see his face, but not enough to make direct eye contact.

“You were wrong, Patton.”

Patton tilted his head, but tried to lighten the situation. He was good at that. “Well why don’t you enlighten me then, teach?”

“Nate and I are not like opposite ends of a magnet. Opposites attract.” With that, Logan turned back in the direction of his room and left without another word.

Huh.

———

“Logan is absolutely the best of the light sides, is he not?”

Nate grimaced, tugging the overlarge blanket up to his chin as he blatantly ignored Deceit.

“Procrastination. It is obvious you cannot hear me.”

Nate rolled his eyes, turning up the volume on his laptop, which was playing some bloopers of The Office.

Deceit moved around the couch, his footsteps silent and his movements fluid. Nate sort of hated Deceit’s gracefulness.

More directly, he hated how Deceit was speaking about Loga- Logic.

“Come along, Procrastination, you know that I’m right.” Nate audibly scoffed, and Deceit raised his eyebrows in amusement. “Logic is quite the bore, is he not? I mean, just today he maliciously pushed aside your plans for Thomas’s Sunday for his own agenda.”

Deceit could see the tension growing in Nate’s shoulders. The slight downturned twitch of his lips. He was far from relaxed. It was quite hilarious to watch, really. Getting Nate out of a state of complete lethargy when he was watching The Office bloopers was truly a feat. Deceit was really quite proud of himself.

“Face it, Nate.” Deceit bent over the form on the couch, a dark smile slowly growing on his face. “Logan is just holding Thomas back.”

Suddenly, Nate sat straight up, whipping his sunglasses off of his face and meeting Deceit’s eyes directly in a harsh glare. “He is not.”

Deceit leaned back, a bit surprised by the sudden venom in Nate’s voice. Those three words were spoken with more passion than the lying side had ever heard from the procrastinator in the entirety of their existence.

Apparently Nate wasn’t done yet, however, because he wasted no time in shoving the blanket off of himself and standing, straightening his back in contrast to his usual slouched posture, meeting Deceit’s eyes directly. “You know nothing about him, you lying snake.” Deceit’s eyes widened as a finger was jabbed at his chest, making him stumble backwards. “Logan is worth two of you! He made the decision that was best for Thomas, and if that doesn’t involve me, then that’s my fault, not his. I trust that he knows what’s best for Thomas and his career, and you are not going to just slither in and try to change my mind on that. Thomas can take a break on another day.”

Completely flabbergasted, Deceit could do nothing more than stare in stunned silence as Nate glared at him for a few more moments. After nearly thirty seconds, Nate seemed to be satisfied with himself and Deceits reaction and pulled his hand back, turning and flopping right back down onto the couch, unceremoniously starting his videos up again.

After standing there frozen for a few more moments, Deceit huffed, straightened his cape and sunk out without another sound.

———

They had been at it for hours. Even Logan was beginning to get tired of the editing process.

He hadn’t really been on board with such a huge project in the first place, knowing Thomas’s schedule, tendency to make promises that he couldn’t keep, and overall health, but Roman had overpowered him in the brainstorming stage, and now Logan was left suffering the consequences.

Rubbing his temples, as if it would stave off the growing tension headache, Logan finally straightened himself from where he had been leaning over Thomas’s shoulder as they both stared at his small computer screen.

Sighing defeatedly, Logan spoke. “Thomas, I do believe that the best course of action at this time would be to get some r-“

Of course, Logan didn’t even get to the end of his sentence before Nate had appeared on the other end of the couch. He was wearing what appeared to be an old pair of pajama bottoms and a sweatshirt that was at least two sizes too large, and held a half eaten bag of potato chips in one hand.

“I got it from here, teach, you can go.”

As loathe as he was to admit it, Logan was relieved by Nate’s appearance. He never thought that he would be so happy to see the embodiment of Procrastination in his life.

However, Thomas did not seem to share the sentiment.

Barely looking up from his screen, Thomas waved his hand in Nate’s direction. “No. Logan, we have to keep going. I’m almost done, and I promised the viewers that we’d have another video out by tomorrow.”

Logan frowned. It was almost unheard of for Thomas to turn down a night of relaxation for work, even with how much he adored his job. Logan knew that he should be proud. It wasn’t often that Thomas sided with him over one of the other sides at all. However, instead of a sense of satisfaction, Thomas’s words brought only dread.

For once, Logan just wanted to be done with work. Was that too much to ask?

Shooting a glance towards Nate, Logan was surprised to find the other side’s eyes already on him. They watched one another for a moment before Nate broke the connection, turning back to Thomas as he dug one hand into his bag of chips.

“C’mon, Tommy, you don’t mean that. You know you wanna put that work aside and kick back with a good podcast. Maybe drink something. Eat some peanut butter cups.”

Oh, that sounded heavenly. Logan watched with bated breath, hoping that Thomas would just take the offer.

Instead, Thomas scowled, focusing even harder on his computer screen. “No. I don’t have time, Nate. Logan and I are working on something really important right now. Right, Lo?”

Logan paused, weighing his options. He could do what was expected of him and agree with Thomas, banishing Nate back to his room. Or. He could tell Thomas that it was time for a break and go enjoy a podcast of his own.

It was an easy decision, really. “Thomas, I believe that Nate is correct. It is time for a well deserved break.”

Logan didn’t even have to turn his head to see the bright grin that instantly took over Nate’s face.

“Seriously?” Logan started as Thomas turned towards him, an incredulous expression on his face. “I’m almost done, Logan! You’re really siding with a dark side on this?”

Everything fell silent. Nate’s hand froze where it had been rustling in the noisy chip bag, his eyes wide in surprise.

If Logan had been just a bit less perceptive, he would have missed the flicker of hurt that flashed through the crime fighter’s eyes.

That did it.

Straightening his back and adjusting his tie, Logan took a single step forward, reached over his host, and snapped Thomas’s laptop shut.

Thomas stared at him in shock. “Wh-“

“No.” Logan’s voice was even, if a bit cold. He was tired. He was overworked. He had a headache. And now he was irritated. “No more work tonight. You’re done, Thomas. You need rest, and you need it now. You’re burning out, and I will not stand for it.”

Thomas opened his mouth to retort, but Logan held up his hand to stop him.

“No excuses. Nate is offering you a chance for rest and you will take it. Because he is doing what is best for you, just as any of the rest of us would. He is not a dark side. That is just a- a silly name that Roman came up with to describe the less prominent sides of yourself. It is a misnomer and a frankly abhorrent one at that. Nathan here is part of your self care. He watches out for you, for all of us, much like Virgil or Patton or Roman or me. He is your balance. He is there when you’ve reached your limits, and he backs off when you need to focus. He has never done anything to harm you, and I will not have you treating him as less of a part of you just because Roman filled your mind with negative connotations.”

The end of Logan’s speech was met with resounding silence. Thomas stared up at his logical side, eyes wide. From the opposite end of the couch, Nate’s eyes were just as wide, if not wider, as he stared at Logan in complete and utter awe.

Clearing his throat, Logan lifted the laptop from Thomas’s lap and deposited it gently on the table in front of him. He was just considering sinking out when Thomas finally spoke.

“You’re right. I… I’m sorry Nate, I just got caught up, and I-“

“Don’t sweat it, T.” Nate’s voice was comepletely normal, despite his obvious surprise at the whole situation. “Let’s just get you some food and we can start up an episode of Parks and Rec., okay?”

Logan watched as Thomas slowly smiled at the idea, nodding happily. He stood silently as their host stood and left for the kitchen, probably on the search for some horrible junk food.

Thomas was barely out of the room before Nate cleared his throat. “Logan?”

“Yes, Nate?” Logan steeled himself, preparing for what was to come. He wasn’t exactly sure what he expected. Teasing, most likely.

“Thank you.”

Logan’s eyes snapped open to meet Nate’s, which were filled with sincerity.

Swallowing down the unknown feeling—feeling?!—that look gave him, Logan nodded once. “No problem.”

Flashing a small, genuine smile, Nate patted the cushion beside him. “Wanna watch some P&R?”

Logan hesitated, glancing back towards the kitchen, where Thomas was rooting around in the refrigerator, before turning back to that welcoming smile and those sincere, deep brown eyes.

It wasn’t a hard decision.

“Of course.”


End file.
